


Bitch We Been Knew

by ticklishraspberries



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Fluff, Gen, Tickle Fights, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21737830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticklishraspberries/pseuds/ticklishraspberries
Summary: Klaus wants to tell Ben a secret, but because Ben is…well, Ben, he already knows.
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	Bitch We Been Knew

“Ben?”

The sixth Hargreeves sibling looks up from his book, brow furrowing at the sight of his brother, looking uncharacteristically nervous, standing in his doorway. “What’s up?” he asks, dog-earing the page of his book and putting it off to the side, always ready to set aside what he’s doing to help out a sibling in need.

Klaus looks disheveled (well, more so than usual), the bags under his eyes persistent as ever. He struts into the room with his usual swagger, not much damper on that bit of him at least, and plops down on the bed beside Ben with a small sigh. “I want to tell you something. But I don’t really know how to tell you.”

Ben scoots closer, bumping his shoulder against his brother’s. “You know you can tell me anything, Klaus. I don’t judge.”

A small snort in response. “Well, sometimes you judge.”

“Only when I know I’m right.”

“I’ll give you that.”

They exchange small, knowing smiles. Ben’s “judging” could more accurately be described as “protecting”, putting his efforts into keeping his siblings out of trouble and certainly from killing one another at some points too.

“So, what’s eating you?”

Klaus nibbles his bottom lip. “It’s stupid. I don’t even know why I was gonna tell you. It’s no big deal,” he says, and then stands up like he’s going to leave.

Ben grabs his sleeve and pulls him back down, wrapping an arm securely around his waist. “Nope, no way. You’re not getting away that easily. Whatever it is, it’s clearly bothering you. I pinky-promise that I won’t judge.”

Klaus huffed, but there was a quirk to the corners of his lips that he couldn’t fight back or hide, and he begrudgingly held out his pinky, interlocking it with Ben’s.

“I just don’t want to say it out loud,” he mumbled.

Ben was getting curious now, perhaps a little selfishly. If Klaus was trying to come out to him, Ben simply didn’t have the heart to tell him that all their siblings had been aware since roughly age eight. He mentally braced himself to put on his best acting skills for that situation.

“You can write it down, if you want,” Ben suggested.

Klaus shook his head. Gently, he reached down and took Ben’s hand that was still resting on his side. One by one, he positioned Ben’s fingers like a claw wrapped around his ribcage.

“Can you…?”

Ben understands what he’s asking before he finishes the sentence, but before he can relieve Klaus of having to speak it aloud, he’s spluttering out the last half.

“Tickle me? I…I like it.”

Grinning, Ben wastes no time in heeding his brother’s request. “You dork! Did you think you couldn’t tell me that? Jeez, Klaus, I thought you were gonna tell me something bad!”

He also didn’t have the heart to tell Klaus that he, as well as probably all their siblings, is well aware of this fact too. It wasn’t as though he had been very subtle about it, always getting himself into situations that ended with him pinned beneath Diego or Ben, tears of mirth spilling from his eyes and loud laughter ringing throughout the mansion they inhabited, almost rattling the walls and knocking off the portraits and antiques and other dumb shit their father had hanging around, making it look more like a musuem than a home. However, the laughter, loud and unabashed laughter, helped make it feel like a home.

“I thought it was a weird request!” Klaus manages to say between all his giggling.

“Not weird,” Ben replies simply. “Maybe a little is, but that’s you in a nutshell, bro.”

Klaus was probably the most ticklish out of the seven of them, and has an equal part in dishing it out and taking it, most of the time. Ben knows all his weak spots, and exactly how to turn him into a giggly puddle, which is what he’s doing now, using one hand to dance up and down his side and squeezing at his hip, while they other wormed its way into the crook of his neck, despite the desperately hunched up shoulders that tried to protect his sensitive skin.

“Having fun?” Ben asks, and he isn’t trying to tease Klaus, but maybe he kind of is. He grins wider as he watches his brother’s cheeks turn a bright shade of pink, although he nods nevertheless.

“Let me know when you’ve had enough!” Ben says, and then quickly shoves both of his hands under Klaus’ underarms, laughing proudly along with the high-pitched squeak that his action causes. They’re both so caught up in their little fun, neither of them notices their brother standing in the doorway.

“I thought I heard you squealing up here, Klaus,” Diego comments, a smirk on his face.

They both jump, startled, Ben’s hands freezing their tickling, and Klaus puts on his best pout (or, the best he can manage while still giggling). “Diego, help! He’s torturing me!”

“Oh, don’t even try. We all know you love this,” Diego immediately says, before Ben can even open his mouth.

“I—What?”

“Yeah, it’s super obvious. You always provoke us into tickling you, and you never beg us to stop. We all caught on a while ago.”

Klaus turns a deeper shade of red, looking between both of his brothers in a mix of embarrassment and shock. Then, he buried his face in Ben’s shoulder. “You’re both mean.”

“No, mean would be if we never tickled you again,” Ben tells him, rubbing his back sweetly. “But we love you, so we indulge you.”

“Hey, Ben, do you think you need a hand indulging our brother?”

Eyes widening, Klaus started giggling before either of them got their hands on him.

Even if his secret wasn’t such a secret, he’s still glad to have it off his chest.


End file.
